By Mohamed Kamara
With over 90% of West African countries having experienced military coups, the sub-region remains a hotbed of political instability. The Anglophone West African nations—including Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia—have all faced coups either historically or in recent times.
Despite international law discouraging intervention without due process, the recent election of Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has coincided with renewed military unrest in the two Lusophone countries of Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau. Guinea-Bissau has recorded nine coups since independence, matching Burkina Faso’s nine coups, while Guinea Conakry has endured five coups since 1958.
Other countries in the region also show similar instability: Mali has witnessed five coups since 1968, occurring in 1968, 1991, 2012, 2021, and 2022; Niger Republic has experienced coups in 1960, 1974, 1996, 1999, and 2010, with a recent failed attempt reported in Benin.
As Chairman of ECOWAS, President Bio and his team have called for the immediate deployment of ECOWAS troops to protect civilian governments across the region. However, skepticism remains high amid escalating tensions between military juntas and civilian authorities. Military regimes often justify their takeovers as efforts to restore democracy and combat corruption, but Western governments reject such claims, viewing military rule as illegitimate and a violation of constitutional order.
The newly established military government in Guinea-Bissau has pledged to hand over power to civilians, while Guinea’s military leader is advocating for a civilian-led election to end military rule. Meanwhile, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali have withdrawn from ECOWAS, raising further challenges for regional unity.
Nigeria and Ghana have a long history of coups, while Cape Verde and Senegal stand out as exceptions. Cape Verde has never experienced a military coup, and Senegal remains the only West African nation to have avoided successful military takeovers entirely. Other countries such as Togo and Liberia have also seen numerous coup attempts and political upheavals over the decades.
For President Bio, the persistence of coups across West Africa presents a significant burden and challenge, demanding both strategic preparedness and decisive action to preserve democracy in the sub-region.
